Christmas at the Cobb's
by eatingmania
Summary: Its Christmas day at the Cobb's and everyone is there to make it happen. chaos occurs. GEN, Arthur/Eames
1. Chapter 1

"Eames, are you sure about those gifts?" Arthur asked as he turned the key to shut off the car engine.

"Come on Arthur, it's a 'build your own dinosaur park Lego set'; what more would a four year old boy want? And a Barbie dream house with one of those Barbies where you can cut her hair for Phillipa," reassured Eames as he opened the back-seat door of the five seater to retrieve the presents.

"Fine, fine. Lets go in, we're already twenty minutes late," said Arthur before ringing the doorbell to Cobb's residential house.

They were greeted with with a clatter of footsteps and screaming voices hurrying daddy to open the door. When the door was finally opened, James and Phillipa were less shy of their good manners in saying: hello, Christmas greetings and thank yous before running off with their presents.

"Remember not to open the presents still tomorrow morning!" Cobb shouted after them before turning back to Arthur and Eames. "So, thanks for coming. Yusuf and Ariadne are in the living room watching something festive and the eggnog is on the table- do not add more rum," warned Cobb pointing at Eames after a manly hug.

"Now why would I do that?" Eames retorted and took his step past Cobb into the house and hugged Ariadne. Arthur gave a hefty laugh and walked in after Cobb, after all there were still gingerbread cookies to bake and stuffing to prepare.

It was only four in the afternoon and all hell broke loose at Cobb's kitchen as five adults and two children were trying to make a Christmas dinner happen in two hours. Ariadne was teaching James how to sieve flour slowly so that the flour does not end up on the counter, Eames and Phillipa were making gingerbread cookies into different shapes giggling like mad, Yusuf was making more eggnog while Cobb and Arthur were cutting the potatoes and ham to go with the roast turkey.

"James, no you can't just flip the sieve over, not all the flour has been sieved. Now look at all the flour on my jumper-"

"Do you guys think there's enough egg, it seems a bit watery to me-"

"...Yeah, Phillipa's adjusting to first grade pretty well, I do have some sort of a problem in telling her what I do for a living, businessman's all I've been saying. Well I do wear a suit- Ow, fuck- stupid knife-"

"Uncle Eames! Uncle Eames! Look at this cookie, its in a shape of a star and and this one is daddy, you can see it is him because his eyes are very very small-"

Above all this relatively peaceful celebration was Bing Crosby's voice drifting through the Bose player into the kitchen, interrupted by Cobb's tiny knife wound on his finger. It was only a small cut really, nonetheless it caused Arthur to quickly wash his hands and get the antiseptic, cotton ball and bandage from the first aid kit.

"Arthur, its just a cut, not bullet wound," commented Cobb as he pointed his finger up towards the celling in the middle of the kitchen table.

Arthur glared before putting on a latex glove and cleaned the wound with the cotton ball.

"If this gets infected; don't come running to me for help."

Before Cobb could say anything, Phillipa and James hurrying over to see what was going on.

"Daddy! Daddy! Are you okay?"

"Does it hurt?"

"Can I see? Can I see?"

"Lemme kiss it better!"

"James," halted Arthur, "That is very unhygienic, germs might transfer from you saliva to your daddy's wound."

Poor James looked up with eyes like he was about to cry but was saved by Eames swooping him up into an embrace.

"Come on love, don't cry," comforted Eames, "Uncle Arthur's only being careful because he doesn't want your daddy to get worse. He doesn't mean to be angry, do you Arthur?"

All eyes were on Arthur.

"I'm sorry James, I didn't mean to make you sad," said Arthur. James sniffed and looked at Arthur who smiled. "You can kiss it better after I put a bandage on, okay?"

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise."

Arthur stuck out his pinky to shake with James'.

"Um, can I have my finger back please?" Cobb asked quietly giving his finger a wiggle as it was held between Arthur's thumb and forefinger.

Ariadne only laughed before putting the gingerbread cookies into the oven and joined Yusuf back in front of the TV with a glass of eggnog. Two seconds later a thud was heard from the living room.

"HEY GUYS," should Ariadne, "I THINK I FOUND COBB'S OLD PHOTO ALBUMS."

Needless to say everyone ran out of the kitchen to living room but Arthur tending to Cobb's finger.

"STOP GOING THROUGH MY STUFF." Cobb shouted back.

"STOP MOVING," commanded Arthur.


	2. Chapter 2

Round the dining table everyone took their seats while Cobb and Yusuf were carving the turkey which was fresh from the oven; the smell of a non-burnt pumpkin pie, herb stuffing and fruitcakes filled the room. Ariadne once again was tending to James on the high seat who was in the mist of telling her a story about dragons who was going to a marshmallow castle. Arthur being the good uncle that he is, was teaching Phillipa the merits of fine dining. How you should always use the utensils from the outside inwards, always cut your food to bite size pieces and never ever put your elbows on the table.

"But uncle Eames' elbow is on the table..."

Arthur turned to his left and glared.

"What?" Eames exclaimed who felt two sharp gazes in his direction.

"Uncle Eames, Uncle Arthur says it is not good manners if you put your elbow on the dining table."

"Well Phillipa," explained Eames, "That only applies when dinner has started."

"No it isn-," said Arthur to Eames but was cut short by the man himself.

"Is everyone at the table?" Eames asked.

"No," answered Phillipa.

"Is anyone eating yet?"

Phillipa took a look round the table once again and said,"no."

"There you go, love. I am well in my right to put my elbow on the table."

Eames smiled, Arthur scowled and Phillipa just giggled.

"Okay," Yusuf shouted from the kitchen, "the turkey is cut!" He came out with a tray of sliced turkey followed by Cobb with a hot portion of gravy.

As they all sat round the table a toast was given to celebrate the success of yet another job, to the coming new year and to the friendship they all share; as cheesy as it was, it worked. After all how many friends can they say had shared dreams, warehouses, coffee breaks and guns together?

The festive bowls of food were soon being passed around with everyone tucking in to their scrumptious meal- of course it was good, they made it themselves. Even if the turkey was slightly dry and the green beans was a bit bland; there was always more gravy to cover up the minuet flaws.

Chatter about boring adult things erupted around Phillipa and she wanted it to change. Who cared about the 'commercialication' of Christmas or over expensive restaurants during Christmas, all she wanted was to know why she had to wait until boxing day to open her presents and if anyone else had seen Toy Story 3. Phillipa tried to voice her opinion on Buzz Lightyear talking in Spanish but everyone was talking so loud no one would hear her, she thought. She was about to keep to herself and finish the roasted potatoes when a collective laugh made her raised her head.

"Hey Phillipa," said Arthur, "Guess who this is?" He showed Phillipa a photo that had creases at the corner where a young man was standing on a boat with his hair brushed towards the right side, his arms were outstretched facing the photographer. She glanced closer, looked to her dad on the right and smiled.

"IT'S DADDY!" Phillipa shouted in glee, Buzz Lightyear can wait with Woody because this was more interesting. "You looked so skinny," she continued in slight disbelief.

"Yeah Dom," butted in Eames, "Gained a few pounds since then didn't you?"

Everyone laughed some more except Cobb who was explaining that photo to both Phillipa and James.

"This was taken more than ten years ago when daddy was-"

"HAHAHAHA. THIS ONE'S EVEN BETTER," shrieked Ariadne holding up another photo towards the others. It was Dominic Cobb sitting on a railing with one foot up, hair free flowing with tartan pants and a cowboy jacket.

"Someone call the fashion police," said Yusuf to Eames who just gave Cobb thumbs up.

"I'd wish I knew you back then," commented Arthur and patted him on the shoulders.

"Can I show these photos at show and tell in school?" James asked.

"Okay, that's enough," said Cobb standing up and took the photos from James and Ariadne hands, "These aren't even from the photo albums in the living ro-" Cobb stopped in his tracks and looked at at his guests; all looking innocent, "you guys are unbelievable." And walked up the stairs to put the photos back.

Silence.

"Guess who took photos?" Ariadne squealed. Needless to say everyone asked the photos to be emailed.

When Cobb came back down, they all finished their dinner talking about Toy Story franchise.

"I haven't seen the third one yet but I was dragged to see the first one with someone's niece and, you can't really expect a grown up to like something like that," said Arthur matter-of-factly.

"Uncle Arthur, you are just saying that because you are trying to sound more manly," said Phillipa. Cobb chuckled, seeing his pointman being insulted by a six year old was priceless.

"Arthur but this one is different," explained Ariadne, "its so so sad. It actually deals deeper things that toys coming alive and going on an adventure."

"I cried in the cinema," said Yusuf.

"But its a kids mo-"

"Its okay, Arthur just doesn't want to admit he still gets heartfelt watching Beauty and the Beast," said Eames patting Arthur's thigh gently.

"Get you hands off me," said Arthur loud enough only Eames could hear.

Eames gave one last pat and retrieved his arm to start piling the dishes and cutlery into the dishwasher. When the dining table was cleared and replaced with gingerbread cookies Eames went to turn up the stereo and sang along to 'Let It Snow' with crumbs round his lips. He knew all the words and was singing it rather loudly doing little hand gestures that went along with the song. The children were more than amused with the cookies in their hands.

"You're out of tune Eames," said Arthur. And he was, not horribly but why ruin a perfectly good song. Eames took a glance at Arthur and grinned.

"You sing then," said Eames walking towards Arthur.

"Oh no, I'm good."

"Come on Arthur! Don't be such a grinch. Hey James, Phillipa, do you want Uncle Arthur to sing?" Eames asked the little ones and Arthur just opened his eyes little wider.

"Please sing Uncle Arthur, please, please please," chanted the children together.

"Yeah Arthur, Eames said you're quite the singer," said Yusuf.

"You should have heard him when he's alone in a hotel room," said Cobb leaning from the opposite wall.

Arthur turned to glare at him.

"The walls aren't soundproof you know. I can hear you every time I passed your door," continued Cobb.

Arthur gave up. Eames just pressed the back button and once again Dean Martin's voice came through.

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so ...delightful," sang Arthur, "a little help here, I don't know all the words."

Eames just chuckled and joined in.

"And since there's no place to go," sang Eames and Arthur who a slight frown.

"LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW," sang James and Phillipa as well, loud enough the neighbours could probably hear.

Ariadne joined in the second verse, Yusuf in the third and even Cobb by the last verse.


End file.
